Toy projectile



Feb. 2, 1960 3 LE RoY T. JONES TOY PROJECTILE Filed Nov. 4, 1957 1: Pay 7 Jon/15- INVENTOR.

TOY PROJECTI LE Le Roy T. Jones, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application November 4, 1957, Serial No. 694,192

' 3 Claims. c1. 4q'-s6 This invention relatesto atoy or' similar article. and particularly relates to a toy which may be projected. into United States Patent O the air and which will descend by means of a parachute.

Many toys have been suggested in the past which can be shot into the air and which will descend by means of a parachute attached thereto. However, in the past, such devices proved very unsatisfactory since the parachute was stored inside the toy and the releasing mechanism for the parachute when the device is at the top of its ascent are complicated and therefore do not operate in a satisfactory manner.

The present toy comprises a substantially cylindrical or tubular shaped front body portion provided with an elongated chamber. A tail portion of substantially the same length as the body is formed at the rear end of the body. A latch member is slidably mounted on the top side of the body with a portion projecting into the chamber. The inner end of the latch cooperates with a keeper on the body. A metal ball is freely movable in the chamber for releasing the latch from the keeper. A parachute is attached to the rear or outer end of the tail by threads or lines. The parachute is folded and dis posed or mounted on the tail of the toy, and a cord, clamp or the like secured to projections on the rear of the tail cooperates with the latch for holding the folded parachute on the tail of the toy.

It is an object of this invention to provide in a toy of the projectible type, means for mounting the parachute on the outside of the toy.

It is an other object of the present invention to provide in a toy of the projectile type which will release a parachute just before the top of its ascent.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a toy of this character which comprises few elements so coordinated to be efficiently and easily operated.

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the device and the appended claims.

In the drawing forming a part of this application:

Figure l is a perspective view showing the toy projectile about to be launched.

Figure 2 is a side view showing the toy, partly in section, and partly in elevation.

Figure 3 is a side view of the toy, in section, parts broken away, and the latch means in released position.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 is the toy projectile which comprises an elongated cylindrical body portion 12 at the front of the toy 10 having an elongated chamber 14. A tail portion 16 is formed at the rear of the toy projectile 10. The tail 16 consists of a depressed curved in cross-section portion 18 and horizontal projecting fins 20 at each side of the portion 18.

A latch means 24 comprises a longitudinal wire 26 extending on the top of the cylindrical body 12 from adjacent the front thereof to adjacent the rear thereof. The front of the wire 26 extends through a hole 13 in the body 12 and terminates in a loop 28 in the chamber 14.

The rear end of the wire 24 extends through aligned ,holes upturned flanges projectile 10.

2 on the body 12 providing keeper means 34.

.A parachute 38 made of polyethylene or any other suitable material is. fastened by threads 40 at apertures 42 in the rear ofthe tail 16 of the toy 10.

A clamp 44 made of ruber, wire or the like is formed into a loop. The ends of the loop 44 are fastened to upturned ears 46 at the rear of the tail 16.

A removable rubber nose 48 is mounted in the open front end of the tubular body 12 while the rearend is closed by members 50. V 1

A launching hook 52 is formed on the bottom of the tubular body 12 adjacent its front end. A slingshot 54 is employed to launch the toy projectile 10. A depending flange 56 is formed at the rear of the tail 16 of the toy A metal ball member 60 is positioned in the chamber 14 of the tubular member 12 and is freely movable therein. Any type of movable weight may be positioned in the chamber 14.

The parachute 38 is folded compactly together with the threads 40 of the shroud wrapped around the folded parachute 38. The folded parachute is positioned on the top of the tail 16 of the projectile 10, see Figure 1. The wire 26 of the latch 24 is moved forward on the toy 10, see Figure 3, the loop or clamp 44 is slipped over the rear flange 32 of the keeper 34, and then the wire 26 is moved rearwardly into the hole in the rear flange 32 thus locking the clamp 44. Now the toy projectile 10 is ready to be launched into the air.

The rubber band of the slingshot 54 is engaged with hook 52, see Figure 1. One hand of an operator grips the handle of the slingshot 54 while the other hand pulls back on the tail 16 of the toy 10 so that the elastic band is stretched and put under tension. When the tail 16 of the toy projectile 10 is released, the projectile is catapulted into the air and moves upwardly until the toy loses sufficient momentum, then ball 60 rolls or moves upwardly in the chamber 14 of the tubular member 12 until the ball 60 engages the loop 28 of the latch 24 thus moving the wire 26 upwardly disengaging the rear of the wire 26 from the rear flange 32 of the keeper 34 releasing the clamp 44 therefrom. When the clamp 44 is released from the keeper 34, the folded parachute 38 falls off the tail 16. The released parachute 38 will now unfurl and lowers th etoy slowly to the ground.

The ball 60 being freely movable in the elongated chamber 14 of the tubular body 12, with the ball 60 in the rear end of the chamber 14, and the loop 28 of the latch 34 adjacent the opposite or front end of the chamber 60 when the toy 10 is launched, permits the parachute 38 to be released before the toy 10 reaches the zenith of its flight into the air.

The parachute being disposed on the tail 16 on the outside of the chamber, permits the parachute 38 to unfurl quickly without danger of being tangled with the latch means 34 on the tubular body 12.

The nose 48 being removable from the front of the body 12, permits the wire 24 being pulled out of keeper 34, into chamber 14 through slot 13, then out the open front end of the body 12. Thus the ball 60 may be removed from the chamber 14 of the tubular body 12.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A toy projectile comprising a hollow elongated body defining a weight confining chamber therewithin, a parachute, a plurality of flexible lines tying said parachute to- Patented Feb. 2, 1960 3 e retaining position but having a trigger element mounted in the forward portion of said chamber to release said latch when engaged by said weight the resistance of the folded parachute retained :on .the outside of .said .body 'being sufficient to cause relatively rapid deceleration of vbefore the same reaches its zenith.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 and :said latch mechanism comprising a'sliding pin with -the'forward portion thereof extending through the wall :of said body into said chamber and defining-:saidxtrigger"element and said retaining means being hinged atits rear :portion to said body and having a cross element formed at the :forward end thereof to underlie said pin when thesamegisin latched position but being released by the engagement of said ball against said trigger to project said pin out of engagement with said retaining means and permit the retaining means to swing back on its hinged connection to release said parachute.

3. The structure set forth in claim 1 and said weight comprising a spherical ball freely housed within said chamber. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 158,700 Weldon May 23, 1950 1,419,041 Gillen June 6, 1922 1,635,223 Rost July 12, 1927 1,890,759 VOgt Dec. 13, 1932 2,213,205 Crary Sept. 3, 1940 2,568,475 Vaughan Sept. 18, 1951 2,748,529 :Swan June 5, 1956 .L2,'Z-56,-53I8 ;Corbettl,. r July 31, 1956 

